Kyrie Irving And The Top 15 2011 NBA Draft Picks (PHOTOS)

Last night the NBA played “Let’s Make A Deal” for the 2011 NBA Draft picks, and the number one gunner for round one was Kyrie Irving, being the top contender for the Cleaveland Cavaliers. Irving is a 19-year old, freshman, point guard from Duke University, but hails from Melbourne, Australia. This 6’4 Aussie along with Derrick Williams, from Arizona, took the number one and two spot for the pick last night pick.

Put down your pencils people because the mock drafts are over, take a look at the top 15 draft picks from GlobalGrind’s big board on the next pages.

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#1 Pick Cleveland Cavaliers: Kyrie Irving – PG (Duke)

Odd as it may seem for a kid who only played 11 games worth of college basketball, Kyrie Irving is probably the most sure-fire pick in this draft. The former Duke star may not have the athleticism of a Derrick Rose or a Russell Westbrook, but his impeccable character, consistent outside shot and quick first step to the rim make him a potential top 10 NBA point guard within the next few years. In a historically weak draft at the top, that was enough to make him a no-brainer for rebuilding Cleveland at No. 1.

A long-awaited handshake with NBA commissioner David Stern culminates Derrick Williams’ stunning two-year rise from little-known recruit to all-conference standout to NBA lottery pick. The Arizona standout is a high-character player with a good blend of skill and athleticism, and the chance to make an impact with the Timberwolves as soon as next season. The only question is whether his niche will be on the perimeter or in the paint. Williams has long insisted he’ll play small forward in the NBA, but his lack of lateral quickness might make him ill-suited to defend pro wings.

Even though Enes Kanter’s game remains a mystery as a result of the NCAA ruling him ineligible to play college basketball, we do know this much about the chiseled 6’11 Turkish big man: He’s not lacking for confidence. Kanter told reporters Wednesday he’s the best player in this draft and Kentucky would have easily won the national title had he been able to play. Utah can only hope Kanter can back up his bravado since the Jazz passed on selecting a much-needed point guard to take him.

Apparently unwilling to wait a full year for Lithuanian center Jonas Valanciunas to have the opportunity to come stateside, Cleveland instead selects a big man capable of aiding its post-LeBron rebuilding process as soon as next season. Ex-Texas star Tristan Thompson is an excellent shot-blocker and offensive-rebounder, but he may need a year or two to develop his post game and a consistent outside shot. Thompson becomes the highest Canadian-born pick in the history of the draft.

Toronto general manager Bryan Colangelo must be confident in his job security to take a player who will not be able to help the Raptors until next season. Lithuanian center Jonas Valanciunas likely must remain with his club team Lietuvos Rytas for at least one more year before Toronto will have the opportunity to buy out his contract. For a Raptors team unlikely to contend next season, Valanciunas may be worth the wait since some teams considered him the best center in this draft — better than Enes Kanter, who went two picks before him.

Had the Czech Republic’s Jan Vesely entered the draft a year ago, the 6’11 forward might have cracked the top 10. Another year to improve in Europe and a weaker draft class in 2011 made it a near-certainty this June. Vesely needs to get stronger and develop a better back-to-the-basket game to fulfill his potential in the NBA, but he runs the floor well, finishes at the rim and apparently boasts off-the-charts athleticism. Says ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla: “He will win an NBA dunk contest some day.”

How do you know this was a weak draft for college talent? Four of the first seven selections are foreign-born players who didn’t play a minute of college basketball. The latest is Bismack Biyombo, a Ben Wallace clone with good athleticism, phenomenal shot-blocking skills and easily the best name in the draft. The downside to Biyombo? Like Wallace, he enters the NBA with virtually no offensive skills either in the post or on the perimeter. For a Charlotte team that wasn’t exactly an offensive juggernaut last season, that’s a concern.

Convinced that going head-to-head against any point guard prospect in the draft besides Kyrie Irving could only damage his stock, Brandon Knight did a lot of spinning around chairs and shooting over assistant coaches during his workouts with NBA teams. That gamble proved shrewd as Detroit made him the second point guard taken, ahead of UConn’s Kemba Walker and BYU’s Jimmer Fredette. There are questions about whether Knight is a true point guard or more of a combo guard, but the Pistons apparently are confident he’s a good fit at the position. And history suggests it’s not wise to bet against John Calipari point guards.

Many thought Kemba Walker would slip out of the lottery tonight, but Charlotte came to its senses before he even fell from the top 10. Those questioning Walker because he’s only 6-1 and he played more of a combo guard role last season are neglecting the mountain of evidence suggesting the UConn star will be an impact point guard at the NBA level. Walker morphed into a 20-point scorer last season because that’s what it took for a young Huskies team to contend in the Big East and ultimately win the national title. “I’m not 6-3, 6-4, but I’ve got a big heart,” Walker said in his on-air interview with ESPN. Well put.

There’s going to be a run on No. 32 Kings jerseys on Friday in Provo, Utah. The Kings dealt point guard Beno Udrih hours before the start of the draft to make room for The Jimmer in the lineup, an addition that should be a coup both on the court and at the box office. Fredette’s defense won’t evoke memories of Stacey Augmon anytime soon, but the Adam Morrison comparisons are laughable. Not only is he one of college basketball’s best long-range shooters of the past five years, he also deserves more credit for his ability to create for himself or his teammates off the dribble.

If Jimmer Fredette is the best shooter in this draft, Klay Thompson isn’t far behind. The former Washington State star averaged 21.6 points per game as a junior and shot 39.8 percent from 3-point range, good enough to catch the eye of new Warriors consultant Jerry West. It’s interesting that the perennially defensively challenged Warriors would select Thompson here rather than Kawhi Leonard because the San Diego State star would seem more capable of helping them in that area. More evidence, perhaps, that Monta Ellis may be on the move?

Any hopes the Jazz had of taking Deron Williams’ heir apparent at No. 12 vanished when Brandon Knight, Kemba Walker and Jimmer Fredette each came off the board in back-to-back-to-back picks. As a result, the Jazz settled for ex-Colorado star Alec Burks, considered one of the best shooting guards in the draft due to his length and ability to get to the basket. Burks is the first Colorado player drafted since 2004.

It’s not a huge shock that Markieff Morris would go as high as No. 13 to Phoenix, but it’s definitely a surprise he came off the board before his more highly regarded twin brother Marcus. Maybe the fact that Markieff has a defined position at power forward made him more attractive to teams than his twin brother, a hybrid forward who critics say lacks the height to play in the paint and the lateral quickness to play on the perimeter. If Markieff feels lonely playing without his brother for the first time in his life, at least he’ll have another twin to share his pain. Robin Lopez, brother of Brook, is also a member of the Suns.

If Marcus Morris was at all disappointed that twin brother Markieff went before him, at least he didn’t have to wait long to hear his own name called. Houston fittingly selected Marcus with the next pick, making the brothers the third set of twins selected in the first round along with Horace and Harvey Grant (1987 and 88) and Brook and Robin Lopez (2008). How does the oft-cocky Marcus feel about going to the Rockets? “They don’t have a scoring forward, so I felt like I fit really well with those guys,” he told ESPN. No doubt, Luis Scola and Chase Budinger will be thrilled to hear that.

Kawhi Leonard has good length, freakishly large hands and the ability to defend and rebound as well as any perimeter player in this draft, so why did the 6’7 ex-San Diego State standout fall to No. 15? Probably because he shot a mere 29.1 percent last season from 3-point range. If his jump shot improves in the next few years, Leonard will be one of the best players from this draft. If it remains a liability, he’ll have to buck the odds to get consistent playing time despite an inability to consistently hit a wide-open mid-range shot.